Support for spools containing wire to facilitate unwinding wire



Jan. 11, D. H. BASS SUPPORT FOR SPOOLS CONTAINING WIRE TO FACILITATE UNWINDING WIRE Filed May 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. DAVID H. BASS KVQZLM L A 'I'TOR NE Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. DAVID H. BASS ATTORNEY D. H. BASS SUPPORT FOR SPOOLS CONTAINING WIRE TO FACILITATE UNWINDING WIRE mm a m N 5E1 Q a R a Jan. 11, 1966 Filed May 28, 1964 United States Patent 3,228,627 SUPPORT FOR SPOOLS CONTAINING WIRE TO FACILITATE UNWINDING WIRE David H. Bass, P.0. Box 52, Florence, S.C. Filed May 28, 1964, Ser. No. 370,828 10 Claims. (Cl. 242129.62)

The present invention relates to a support for spools of wire of the type used by house wiring electricians and the like.

When a house or building is being wired, the ordinary practice is for the electrician to employ coils of wire which are about 250 feet long. During the wiring of the house, the electrician uncoils the wire as he proceeds through the house, and the wire frequently becomes tangled with scrap lumber and is stepped on by other workmen, adversely affecting the efficiency of the electrician. The usual 250-foot coils are supplied to the electrician in cardboard boxes and some electricians cut a hole in the center of the box and gradually pull the Wire out. The wire leaves the box somewhat in the form of a coil spring and cannot easily be straightened out and is difficult to manipulate.

" The primary object of the invention is to completely eliminate the above difficulties incident to handling the conventional 250-foot wire coils during house wiring and the like. According to the invention, spools of wire containing 1250 feet of wire and in some instances 2500 feet are supported in a highly convenient manner which greatly aids the electrician in smoothly unwinding the wire as he proceeds through the house in any direction. The invention device includes a guide for the wire which prevents kinking and tangling and tends to straighten the wire. A single 1250-foot wire spool used on the invention support takes the place of five of the aforementioned 250-foot loose coils, and this means only one end of scrap Wire for each 1250 feet, instead of five ends of scrap when the usual coils are employed. The invention effects a considerable saving of material, as well as time and labor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for supporting a spool of wire during the unwinding thereof by an electrician, and greatly facilitating the unwinding without tangling, kinking or otherwise damaging the Wire.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the mentioned character which is relatively light weight and, therefore, readily portable, extremely stable and unlikely to upset during use, inexpensive to manufacture and reliable and efficient in operation.

A further object is to provide a spool support of the mentioned character which is adapted to accommmodate a variety of types of spools employed by electricians, including, spools of heat cable of the type which is laid back and forth in a zigzag path upon lathing and stapled thereto for the purpose of heating a room. The invention support and unwinding facilitating means greatly aids in the installation of this heat cable, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The invention includes no means for winding up or spooling wire or other like material and is, therefore, not, a reeling device. It is desired to emphasize that the invention is a support for spools of Wire to aid in the operation of unwinding only. In general, the invention renders the house wiring electricians work more efiicient, economical, rapid and in general less troublesome.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts through the same,

FIGURE 1 is aperspective view of a support for spools containing wire according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of an idle spool. spindle support bracket and latch,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary central vertical section through the support shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarge-d fragmentary vertical section taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3, and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 4 illustrating the supporting of a spindle and spool of a smaller size for heat cable and the like.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustra tion is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a base for the invention, including four widely divergent inclined legs 11, each having a vertical foot extremity 12 adapted to engage the floor or other level supporting surface. The inclined legs 11 are rigidly interconnected by horizontal brace bars 13 and 14, welded thereto, near and above the feet 12. The tops of the four legs 11 are welded as shown in FIGURE 3 to a level rectangular plate 15 having a central vertical opening 16 formed therethrough. The plate 15, legs, 11 and brace bar-s 13 and 14 constitute a very stable unitary base or support which will not readily tip or upset, as is obvious. The feet 12 are widely spaced apart in all directions as clearly shown in FIGURE 1.

A generally U-shaped supporting yoke 17 for spools of wire is arranged above the stable base 10 and swiveled thereto for free rotation on a vertical axis. The spool support or yoke 17 has.vertical arms 18 and a. lower interconnecting crossbar 19 of considerable length. A brace bar 2%) is preferably employed to strengthen the yoke 17 and has its opposite ends welded to the vertical arms 18 as shown.

A vertical bolt 21, FIGURE 3, has its head 22 welded to the bottom of the bar 19 at the longitudinal center of the latter, and this bolt extends through the opening 16 and carries a nut 23 below the plate 15, locked in place afterproper adjustment by a set screw 24. An apertured Washer 25 is welded to the top of plate 15 in registration with the opening 16 and also receives the bolt. A thrust-type ball bearing 26 intervenes between the washer 25 and bolt head 22 to form an extremely low friction swivel for the support or yoke 17 so that the same may rotate very freely in either direction as shown by the arrows in FIGURE 1.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of sockets 27 on the upper ends of arms 18 for supporting the axle or spindle of a larger size spool 28 employed for house wiring and the like. The sockets 27 are box-like and upwardly opening as shown, and they have vertical slots 28 in their inner opposed sides, which project inwardly somewhat of the arms 18.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the large type spool 28', containing as much as 1250 feet of Wire is supported upon a tube or cylinder 29, which forms a part of the invention. The wire spool 23' is a standard commercial item. The tube 29 is equipped at its opposite ends with ball bearings 39, receiving a relatively stationary shaft or spindle 31, adapted to have its ends received by the vertical slots 28. The ends of the spindle 31 carry rectangular heads 32 which engage removably and non-rotatably within the upwardly opening sockets 27. Collars 33 on the tube 29, having adjusting set screws 34, facilitate the centering or positioning of the spool 28' during unwinding of the wire on the invention support.

It may be seen with references to FIGURES 1, 3 and 4 that the entire supporting shaft assembly including the elements 31 and 29 may be lifted bodily from the sockets 27 or readily placed therein. By virtue of the bearings 30, the wire unwinds from the. spool 28 very smoothly and with no elfort. In some instances, a pair of spools of a narrow type or one narrow type spool may be. mounted upon the tube 29 and. the adjustable collars 33 render the invention support quite flexible in this respect. Some of the spools occupy almost the full distance between the arms 18. The invention support may be manufactured in a number of sizes to accommodate wire spoolsofalmostany size; I

I A normally horizontal Uashaped guide 65 forthewire being unwound from aspool or spools, is provided upon the tops ofthe arms 18 and pivoted thereto at 36. The sides or arms 37. of'the wire guide 35 lie outwardly of the arms 18 as shown. The-guide 35 further comprises a horizontal crossbar composed'of two closely; spaced parallel rods 38 having their ends welded to short arm extensions 39 formed integral with the sides or arms 37 and extending 'atright angles thereto. The inner extremities 4tl of extensions 39 are smoothly rounded to avoid cutting or' damaging the wire and to allow the wire to pass freely through the guide slot provided between the parallel rods 38. This arrangement greatly facilitates unwinding the wire from the spool or spools without kinking, tangling or twisting.

The guide 35 is swingable vertically a full 180 degrees as shown by the arrow in FIGURE 1 and as shown by-the fulland broken line illustrations in that figure. A stop lug 41 on one vertical arm 18 arrests downward movement of the support 35 in one direction and maintains the support level or horizontal. A like stop lug 42, FIGURE 3, on the opposite arm 18 arrests or limits movement of the support 35 in the opposite direction or toward the dotted line position of FIGURE 1. FIGURE 3 illustrates in broken lines how the wire or cable being unwound from the spool 28' passes through the slot formed by the with adjusting. collars 46 having set screws. 47 to lock the collars in selected adjusted positions. 'upon the spindle 44. The purpose of the collars 46 is to center or position the spool 45 with respect to the ends of the spindle 44 and the arms 18, etc. When the larger type spool 28 or spools are being employed as shown in'FIGURES'B and 4, the smaller type spool '45 is not in theactive posi tion upon the yoke 17 and vice-versa.

Bracket means are provided upon the base 10 to support or store the spindle '44 when the samev is not in use- This bracket means includes 'a pair ofidenticaljbrackets or sockets. 48 rigidly secured bywelding or the like to; the horizontal braces 14 in opposed relatiori, FIGURE'L.

Thebrackets or sockets 48 are open at their tops and have innerside'slots 49'to receive the end portionsofftheidle or inactive spindle 44, FIGURE 2. Each sofcket 48 has a.

pivotedfriction latch 50' mounted uponits inner side and engageable downwardly over the idle spindle 44 as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 2 to frictionally hold; the spindle upon the socket 48. The'spindle'44 is customarily stored in the idle position without any spool upon it and.

carrying only the collars 46. This feature for storing or supporting an idle spindle is optional and may'beomitte d from the invention if desired.

In viewof the above description, it is believed that the will be virtually obvious to anyone skilled in the art. However,.to briefly summarize the operation, the tube 29, spindle 31 andassociated parts carrying one of the larger spools 2:8 or two axially thinner spools of a somewhat;

7 use or operation of the invention device by the-electrician different. character is bodily mounted upon the yoke 18 by merely placing the ends of the spindle 31 within the sockets 27, as shown. The wire upon the spool 28' is placed through the slot between the guide bars 38 and theelectrician draws the wire from the spool in the desiredmann'er. The entire yoke' orsupport 17 rotates freely upon the ver'ticalaxis of the-bolt -21 byvirtue of the described ball bearing mountingat 26. The wire may, therefore, be drawntotf of thespool in any direction. The guide 35 tor the wire is'freely swin'g'ably vertically to and between the extreme positions shown in FIGURE .1, so that thefwire maybeu w'ouna in almost any direction while being guided at all times. For example, a wire may be drawnupwardly toward aceiling fixture and the swingable guide 35 will accommodate this direction. of

unwinding. The ball, bearings '30"of-tube 29 cause the.

heavier spools toturn'freely without friction.

Z'Whenthe smaller andfligter-spools 4 44 is placed directly in the inclined sockets 43 and after adjusting the collars 46, the. wire is unwoundin approximately the manner above-described in connection with the spool 25. The guide 35 is'also employed in the same manner for the heat cable. Various types of wires on v spooling or reeling instrumentality but merely a support and a guide formaterial being unwound from a spool. It is believed that the virtues of theinvention and the advantages thereof will be apparent to-those skilled in the.

art without thenecessity for a further, description herein. It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to'be taken as a preferred-example of the same,.and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

Havingthus described my invention, I claim:

1. A spoolsupport particularly adapted to facilitate unwinding a wirefrom said spool comprising, a stable base adapted to rest on a substantially level surface, a

substantially U-shaped spool supporting yoke swiveled to said base and adapted to rotate in a horizontallplahe upon a'vertical axis of rotation, upwardly open socket. means on opposite sides of said yoke adapted .to'receive.

and support a'spool spindle removably, and a' substantially U-shaped wire unwinding guide having a'w ireQgl liding slot'pivoted to opposite sides of'said yoke near the top of the yoke'and swingable vertically relative tothe yoke. between approximately horizontal positions at right angles'toithe yoke'on opposite sides thereof."

devi forfsuppor'ting, an electricians .wire spool; during unwinding of (wire therefrom comprising. a base having widely'spaced'legsfto rest upon a level supporting surface; an I upstanding substantially U-shapedspool supporting yoke, means "forming 'a lo w friction-rotational connection between the bottom ofsaidyoke and saidlbase so'that the yoke may-revolve freely'ina horizontal plane and; on a vertical axis of'rotation, socket means 'on oppo site sides: of said yoke near the top thereof adapted to re'-' ceive a spool supporting spindle and-to allow'lifting of said spindle from said .yoke.freely,- a substantially U-'' shaped wire guide pivotally secured" to :the-to'p of-said' yoke and swingable vertically relative thereto' and having an elongated wire guiding slot, and positive stop means on'said yoke engageable withsaidwire guideito. arrest swinging movement thereof in opposite directions'whenv the wire guide is extendng substantally horizontally; beyond either side of said yoke, said wire guide being freely 5 are employed for installing heat cable on a wall or ceiling-the spindle} swingable to all intermediate positions between said positive stop means.

3. A spool support and unwinding aid comprising a stable base, an upstanding substantially U-shaped spool supporting yoke rotatably mounted upon said base and adapted to turn horizontally in any direction, upwardly open socket means on opposite sides of said yoke, a spindle having opposite ends detachably engageable within the socket means and supported thereby, a low friction rotatable sleeve journaled for free rotation upon said spindle and adapted to hold a wire containing spool, and a pair of adjustable collars upon said sleeve including means to releasably lock the collars in selected adjusted positions upon the sleeve, said collars engageable upon opposite ends of a spool on said sleeve.

4. The invention as defined by claim 3, and a vertically swingable wire unwinding guide pivoted to said yoke and having a guide slot for wire being unwound from said spool and adapted to extend above said yoke and on opposite sides thereof.

5. The invention as defined by claim 3, and auxiliary socket means on opposite sides of said yoke below the first-named socket means and adapted to support a small spool spindle.

6. The invention as defined by claim 5, and additional socket means on said base adapted to support the small spool spindle when the same is not in use.

7. The invention as defined by claim 6, and friction latch means on said base socket means to releasably hold the small spool spindle therein.

8. A support and unwinding aid for spools of wire comprising a stable base having widely spaced feet and upwardly converging legs, a level plate rigidly secured to the tops of said legs and having an opening, an upstanding U-shaped spool supporting yoke above said base,

a bolt rigid with the bottom of said yoke at the center thereof and engaging through said plate opening, a low friction bearing intervening between said plate and the head of said bolt and allowing said yoke to turn freely in a horizontal plane upon said base, sockets on the top of said yoke and opposite sides thereof and having opposed upwardly opening slots adapted to receive a spool spindle removably, and a guide for wire being unwound from said spool and being U-shaped and having a pair of arms pivotally secured to the top of said yoke at the opposite sides thereof outwardly of said sockets and a crossbar having an elongated guide slot for said wire, said guide being swingable in a vertical plane to and from opposite sides of said yoke and to all intermediate positions above the yoke.

9. The invention as defined by claim 8, and stop lugs carried by the opposite sides of the yoke and engageable with the arms of said guide to arrest downward movement of the guide in positions substantially perpendicular to the yoke on either side thereof.

10. The invention as defined by claim 8, and a low friction spindle adapted to carry said spool and including reduced end portions engageable within said slots and rectangular heads engageable within said sockets.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 838,400 12/1906 Grifiin 24255.3 1,731,963 10/1929 Zusmer 242--l29.6 2,733,877 2/1956 Cunningham 242139 3,131,886 5/1964 Scheuring 242-12953 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

L. D. CHRISTIAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SPOOL SUPPORT PARTICULARLY ADAPTED TO FACILITATE UNWINDING A WIRE FROM SAID SPOOL COMPRISING A STABLE BASE ADAPTED TO REST ON A SUBSTANTIALLY LEVEL SURFACE, A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED SPOOL SUPPORTING YOKE SWIVELED TO SAID BASE AND ADAPTED TO ROTATE IN HORIZONTAL PLANE UPON A VERTICAL AXIS OF ROTATION, UPWARDLY OPEN SOCKET MEANS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID YOKE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT A SPOOL SPINDLE REMOVABLY, AND A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED WIRE UNWINDING GUIDE HAVING A WIRE GUIDING SLOT PIVOTED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID YOKE NEAR THE TOP OF THE YOKE AND SWINGABLE VERTICALLY RELATIVE TO THE YOKE BETWEEN APPROXIMATELY HORIZONTAL POSITIONS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE YOKE ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF. 